Mark Branson – Clifton

September 2017

Paedophile used neighbours’ broadband to get around internet access court order

A pervert used a neighbour’s internet to evade a court order and look at child abuse images again.

When police went to investigate, it left them questioning an innocent couple, Nottingham Crown Court heard.

They told officers they had sold an iPad to Mark Branson, 38, and gave him access to their broadband.

Branson was jailed for six months after admitting the breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which was designed to stop him viewing illegal images.

Judge James Sampson told him: “One of the serious aspects of this case is that suspicion was thrown on them. That is an aggravating feature.”

He said that Branson had been given a three-year prison sentence for offences linked to indecent images of children in 2011. When released, he was barred from using the internet.

“The prohibition from using the internet was designed to prevent you from repeating your offending. It is clear for some considerable time you resisted the temptation to obtain computer access of the internet.

“Ultimately you did that and managed to obtain access through a neighbour,” said the judge, who warned Branson of Sturgeon Avenue, Clifton, that the internet ban still remains.

Samuel Coe, prosecuting, said police visited the area when they discovered that an indecent image was being downloaded from the internet.

“Officers attended and the two home owners denied going on the chat site. They gave details of their broadband to a neighbour for access. They sold him an iPad for £20,” said Mr Coe.

The police went to Branson’s address and later arrested him. At one point, he had three tablets which could be used for internet access.

“He said that he smashed up the iPad about a week before,” said Mr Coe. No computer equipment was found during the search.